16:14 The Pharisees 1 (who loved money) heard all this and ridiculed 2 him. 16:15 But 3 Jesus 4 said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, 5 but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized 6 among men is utterly detestable 7 in God’s sight.
16:16 “The law and the prophets were in force 8 until John; 9 since then, 10 the good news of the kingdom of God 11 has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it. 12 16:17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a letter 13 in the law to become void. 14
16:18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries 15 someone else commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
16:19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple 16 and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously 17 every day. 16:20 But at his gate lay 18 a poor man named Lazarus 19 whose body was covered with sores, 20 16:21 who longed to eat 21 what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogs 22 came and licked 23 his sores.
16:22 “Now 24 the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. 25 The 26 rich man also died and was buried. 27 16:23 And in hell, 28 as he was in torment, 29 he looked up 30 and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side. 31 16:24 So 32 he called out, 33 ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus 34 to dip the tip of his finger 35 in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish 36 in this fire.’ 37 16:25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, 38 remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. 39 16:26 Besides all this, 40 a great chasm 41 has been fixed between us, 42 so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 16:27 So 43 the rich man 44 said, ‘Then I beg you, father – send Lazarus 45 to my father’s house 16:28 (for I have five brothers) to warn 46 them so that they don’t come 47 into this place of torment.’ 16:29 But Abraham said, 48 ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to 49 them.’ 16:30 Then 50 the rich man 51 said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead 52 goes to them, they will repent.’ 16:31 He 53 replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to 54 Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” 55
17:1 Jesus 56 said to his disciples, “Stumbling blocks are sure to come, but woe 57 to the one through whom they come! 17:2 It would be better for him to have a millstone 58 tied around his neck and be thrown into the sea 59 than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 60 17:3 Watch 61 yourselves! If 62 your brother 63 sins, rebuke him. If 64 he repents, forgive him. 17:4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive 65 him.”
17:5 The 66 apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 67 17:6 So 68 the Lord replied, 69 “If 70 you had faith the size of 71 a mustard seed, you could say to this black mulberry 72 tree, ‘Be pulled out by the roots and planted in the sea,’ 73 and it would obey 74 you.
17:7 “Would any one of you say 75 to your slave 76 who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal’? 77 17:8 Won’t 78 the master 79 instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready 80 to serve me while 81 I eat and drink. Then 82 you may eat and drink’? 17:9 He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told, 83 will he? 84 17:10 So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; 85 we have only done what was our duty.’” 86
17:11 Now on 87 the way to Jerusalem, 88 Jesus 89 was passing along 90 between Samaria and Galilee. 17:12 As 91 he was entering 92 a village, ten men with leprosy 93 met him. They 94 stood at a distance, 17:13 raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy 95 on us.” 17:14 When 96 he saw them he said, “Go 97 and show yourselves to the priests.” 98 And 99 as they went along, they were cleansed. 17:15 Then one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back, praising 100 God with a loud voice. 17:16 He 101 fell with his face to the ground 102 at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. 103 (Now 104 he was a Samaritan.) 105 17:17 Then 106 Jesus said, 107 “Were 108 not ten cleansed? Where are the other 109 nine? 17:18 Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 110 17:19 Then 111 he said to the man, 112 “Get up and go your way. Your faith has made you well.” 113
1 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
2 tn A figurative extension of the literal meaning “to turn one’s nose up at someone”; here “ridicule, sneer at, show contempt for” (L&N 33.409).
3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
4 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 tn Grk “before men.” The contrast is between outward appearance (“in people’s eyes”) and inward reality (“God knows your hearts”). Here the Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used twice in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, but “men” has been retained in the text to provide a strong verbal contrast with “God” in the second half of the verse.
6 tn Or “exalted.” This refers to the pride that often comes with money and position.
7 tn Or “is an abomination,” “is abhorrent” (L&N 25.187).
8 tn There is no verb in the Greek text; one must be supplied. Some translations (NASB, NIV) supply “proclaimed” based on the parallelism with the proclamation of the kingdom. The transitional nature of this verse, however, seems to call for something more like “in effect” (NRSV) or, as used here, “in force.” Further, Greek generally can omit one of two kinds of verbs – either the equative verb or one that is already mentioned in the preceding context (ExSyn 39).
9 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
10 sn Until John; since then. This verse indicates a shift in era, from law to kingdom.
11 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.
12 tn Many translations have “entereth violently into it” (ASV) or “is forcing his way into it” (NASB, NIV). This is not true of everyone. It is better to read the verb here as passive rather than middle, and in a softened sense of “be urged.” See Gen 33:11; Judg 13:15-16; 19:7; 2 Sam 3:25, 27 in the LXX. This fits the context well because it agrees with Jesus’ attempt to persuade his opponents to respond morally. For further discussion and details, see D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 2:1352-53.
13 tn Or “one small part of a letter” (L&N 33.37).
14 tn Grk “to fall”; that is, “to drop out of the text.” Jesus’ point may be that the law is going to reach its goal without fail, in that the era of the promised kingdom comes.
15 sn The examples of marriage and divorce show that the ethical standards of the new era are still faithful to promises made in the presence of God. To contribute to the breakup of a marriage, which involved a vow before God, is to commit adultery. This works whether one gets a divorce or marries a person who is divorced, thus finalizing the breakup of the marriage. Jesus’ point concerns the need for fidelity and ethical integrity in the new era.
16 sn Purple describes a fine, expensive dye used on luxurious clothing, and by metonymy, refers to clothing colored with that dye. It pictures someone of great wealth.
17 tn Or “celebrated with ostentation” (L&N 88.255), that is, with showing off. Here was the original conspicuous consumer.
18 tn The passive verb ἐβέβλητο (ebeblhto) does not indicate how Lazarus got there. Cf. BDAG 163 s.v. βάλλω 1.b, “he lay before the door”; Josephus, Ant. 9.10.2 (9.209).
19 sn This is the one time in all the gospels that a figure in a parable is mentioned by name. It will become important later in the account.
20 tn Or “was covered with ulcers.” The words “whose body” are implied in the context (L&N 23.180).
21 tn Grk “to eat his fill,” but this phrase has been simplified as “to eat” for stylistic reasons.
22 tn The term κύνες (kunes) refers to “wild” dogs (either “street” dogs or watchdogs), not house pets (L&N 4.34).
23 sn When the dogs came and licked his sores it meant that he was unclean. See the negative image of Rev 22:15 that draws on this picture.
24 tn Grk “Now it happened that the.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
25 tn Grk “to Abraham’s bosom.” The phrase “carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom” describes being gathered to the fathers and is a way to refer to heaven (Gen 15:15; 47:30; Deut 31:16).
26 tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
27 sn The shorter description suggests a different fate, which is confirmed in the following verses.
28 sn The Greek term Hades stands for the Hebrew concept of Sheol. It is what is called hell today. This is where the dead were gathered (Ps 16:10; 86:13). In the NT Hades has an additional negative force of awaiting judgment (Rev 20:13).
29 sn Hades is a place of torment, especially as one knows that he is separated from God.
30 tn Grk “he lifted up his eyes” (an idiom).
31 tn Grk “in his bosom,” the same phrase used in 16:22. This idiom refers to heaven and/or participation in the eschatological banquet. An appropriate modern equivalent is “at Abraham’s side.”
32 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous actions in the narrative.
33 tn Grk “calling out he said”; this is redundant in contemporary English style and has been simplified to “he called out.”
34 sn The rich man had not helped Lazarus before, when he lay outside his gate (v. 2), but he knew him well enough to know his name. This is why the use of the name Lazarus in the parable is significant. (The rich man’s name, on the other hand, is not mentioned, because it is not significant for the point of the story.)
35 sn The dipping of the tip of his finger in water is evocative of thirst. The thirsty are in need of God’s presence (Ps 42:1-2; Isa 5:13). The imagery suggests the rich man is now separated from the presence of God.
36 tn Or “in terrible pain” (L&N 24.92).
37 sn Fire in this context is OT imagery; see Isa 66:24.
38 tn The Greek term here is τέκνον (teknon), which could be understood as a term of endearment.
39 tn Or “in terrible pain” (L&N 24.92). Here is the reversal Jesus mentioned in Luke 6:20-26.
40 tn Grk “And in all these things.” There is no way Lazarus could carry out this request even if divine justice were not involved.
41 sn The great chasm between heaven and hell is impassable forever. The rich man’s former status meant nothing now.
42 tn Grk “between us and you.”
43 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the rich man’s response to Abraham’s words.
44 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the rich man, v. 19) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
45 tn Grk “Then I beg you, father, that you send him”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
46 sn To warn them. The warning would consist of a call to act differently than their dead brother had, or else meet his current terrible fate.
47 tn Grk “lest they also come.”
48 tn Grk “says.” This is one of the few times Luke uses the historical present.
49 tn Or “obey”; Grk “hear.” This recalls the many OT texts calling for a righteous heart to respond to people in need (Deut 14:28-29; Isa 3:14-15; Amos 2:6-8; Mic 2:1-2; Zech 7:9-10).
50 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
51 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the rich man, v. 19) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
52 sn If someone from the dead goes to them. The irony and joy of the story is that what is denied the rich man’s brothers, a word of warning from beyond the grave, is given to the reader of the Gospel in this exchange.
53 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
54 tn Or “obey”; Grk “hear.” See the note on the phrase “respond to” in v. 29.
55 sn The concluding statement of the parable, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead, provides a hint that even Jesus’ resurrection will not help some to respond. The message of God should be good enough. Scripture is the sign to be heeded.
56 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
57 sn See Luke 6:24-26.
58 tn This term refers to the heavy upper stone of a grinding mill (L&N 7.70; BDAG 660 s.v. μυλικός).
59 tn Grk “if a millstone were tied…and he were thrown.” The conditional construction in Greek has been translated by English infinitives: “to have… and be thrown.”
60 tn Or “to stumble.” This verb, σκανδαλίσῃ (skandalish), has the same root as the noun σκάνδαλον (skandalon) in 17:1, translated “stumbling blocks”; this wordplay is difficult to reproduce in English. It is possible that the primary cause of offense here would be leading disciples (“little ones”) astray in a similar fashion.
61 tn It is difficult to know if this looks back or forward or both. The warning suggests it looks back. For this verb, see Luke 8:18; 12:1, 15; 20:46; 21:8, 34. The present imperative reflects an ongoing spirit of watchfulness.
62 tn Both the “if” clause in this verse and the “if” clause in v. 4 are third class conditions in Greek.
63 tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a, contra BDAG 19 s.v. 2.c), but with a familial connotation. It refers equally to men, women, or children. However, because of the familial connotations, “brother” has been retained in the translation here in preference to the more generic “fellow believer” (“fellow Christian” would be anachronistic in this context).
64 tn Grk “And if.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
65 sn You must forgive him. Forgiveness is to be readily given and not withheld. In a community that is to have restored relationships, grudges are not beneficial.
66 tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
67 sn The request of the apostles, “Increase our faith,” is not a request for a gift of faith, but a request to increase the depth of their faith.
68 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
69 tn Grk “said.”
70 tn This is a mixed condition, with ἄν (an) in the apodosis.
71 tn Grk “faith as,” “faith like.”
72 sn A black mulberry tree is a deciduous fruit tree that grows about 20 ft (6 m) tall and has black juicy berries. This tree has an extensive root system, so to pull it up would be a major operation.
73 tn The passives here (ἐκριζώθητι and φυτεύθητι, ekrizwqhti and futeuqhti) are probably a circumlocution for God performing the action (the so-called divine passive, see ExSyn 437-38). The issue is not the amount of faith (which in the example is only very tiny), but its presence, which can accomplish impossible things. To cause a tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea is impossible. The expression is a rhetorical idiom. It is like saying a camel can go through the eye of a needle (Luke 18:25).
74 tn The verb is aorist, though it looks at a future event, another rhetorical touch to communicate certainty of the effect of faith.
75 tn Grk “Who among you, having a slave… would say to him.”
76 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.
77 tn Grk “and recline at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away. See BDAG 70 s.v. ἀναπίπτω 1.
78 tn The question includes a Greek particle, οὐχί (ouci), that expects a positive reply. The slave is expected to prepare a meal before eating himself.
79 tn Grk “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
80 tn Grk “and gird yourself” (with an apron or towel, in preparation for service).
81 tn BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 2.b, “to denote contemporaneousness as long as, while… w. subjunctive… Lk 17:8.”
82 tn Grk “after these things.”
83 tn Grk “did what was commanded.”
84 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ at the end, “will he?” Thanks are not required.
85 tn Some translations describe the slaves as “worthless” (NRSV) or “unworthy” (NASB, NIV) but that is not Jesus’ point. These disciples have not done anything deserving special commendation or praise (L&N 33.361), but only what would normally be expected of a slave in such a situation (thus the translation “we have only done what was our duty”).
86 tn Or “we have only done what we were supposed to do.”
87 tn Grk “Now it happened that on.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
88 sn This is another travel note about Jesus going to Jerusalem in Luke 9:51-19:48, the so-called “Jerusalem journey” section of Luke’s Gospel. It is not a straight line journey, because to travel along the Galilean and Samaritan border is to go east or west, not south to Jerusalem.
89 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
90 tn Or “was traveling about.”
91 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
92 tn The participle εἰσερχομένου (eisercomenou) is taken temporally.
93 sn The ten men with leprosy would have been unable to approach Jesus (Lev 13:45-46; Num 5:2-3). The ancient term for leprosy covered a wider array of conditions than what is called leprosy today. A leper was totally ostracized from society until he was declared cured (Lev 13:45-46).
94 tn Grk “leprosy, who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun was replaced with a personal pronoun and a new sentence started at this point in the translation.
95 sn “Have mercy on us” is a request to heal them (Luke 18:38-39; 16:24; Matt 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:31-32; Mark 10:47-49).
96 tn Καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
97 tn The participle πορευθέντες (poreuqente") is a good example of an adverbial participle of attendant circumstance. As such, it picks up the force of an imperative from the verb to which it is related (ExSyn 640-45).
98 sn These are the instructions of what to do with a healing (Lev 13:19; 14:1-11; Luke 5:14).
99 tn Grk “And it happened that as.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
100 tn Grk “glorifying God.”
101 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
102 tn Grk “he fell on his face” (an idiom for complete prostration).
103 sn And thanked him. This action recognized God’s healing work through Jesus.
104 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of a parenthetical comment.
105 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The comment that the man was a Samaritan means that to most Jews of Jesus’ day he would have been despised as a half-breed and a heretic. The note adds a touch of irony to the account (v. 18).
106 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
107 tn Grk “Jesus answering said”; this is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
108 tn The Greek construction used here (οὐχί, ouci) expects a positive reply.
109 tn The word “other” is implied in the context.
110 sn Jesus’ point in calling the man a foreigner is that none of the other nine, who were presumably Israelites, responded with gratitude. Only the “outsiders” were listening and responding.
111 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
112 tn Grk “to him”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
113 tn Or “has delivered you”; Grk “has saved you.” The remark about faith suggests the benefit of trusting in Jesus’ ability to deliver. Apparently the Samaritan benefited from the healing in a way the other nine did not.